The ancient Egyptians certainly believed in the wisdom of female rulers.
Indeed, when there was a political crisis, the ancient Egyptians chose a woman
time and again to fill the power vacuum—precisely because she was the least risky option. For the ancient Egyptians, placing women in
power was often the best protection for the patriarchy in times of uncertainty.Best known of all was Cleopatra of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (305-285
B.C.), who eliminated her
siblings to take the throne unaccosted, only to put all of her energies into creating a dynasty for her many children. In the end, even this seducer of Roman leaders ruled differently than her partner of the moment,
Marc Antony. While he was the (defeated) aggressor in Parthia, she stayed in Egypt and tried to create calm. While he foolishly engaged in the Battle of Actium, she saw the writing on the
wall and fled with her fleet, back to Egypt, where she could do some good.
